Birth of a New Europe

Transformation of Europe from the Napoleonic Wars to World War I

Between the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the outbreak of the First World War, Europe experienced an unparalleled transformation in its history. No comparable change had occurred on the Continent since the New Stone Age. Theodore Hamerow examines the innovations that challenged nineteenth-century Europe, using a perspective that transcends events within national boundaries. He combines political, social, diplomatic, and national developments to demonstrate their relation to the profound transformations brought about by the industrial revolution.

Implications of Europe's Shift to an Industrial Society

Using a wealth of statistics and documentation to support insightful generalizations, Hamerow broadly assesses the implications of Europe's transition from an agricultural to an industrial society. Among the subjects he considers are the rise of the middle and working classes, the spread of literacy and enfranchisement of the masses, the growth of urban centers of manufacture and trade, the acquisition of colonies, the spread of military technologies, and changes in the functions of governments.